OUT-OF-PRINT & RARITIES SELECTED BY LIZARDSON & FRIENDS

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Gothic Horizon "Tomorrow's Another Day" 1972

Freak Emporium:After their excellent 1971 debut on Argo, the bands second effort followed in 1972. A bit rockier than the first release with a more expensive production it retained the soothing, relaxing, gentle and slightly melancholy atmosphere whilst adding a more commercial edge. For the fans of Magna Carta or Tir Na Nog.

Dave Thubron:Gothic Horizon made two albums: 'The Jason Lodge Poetry Book' (Argo ZFB 26) 1970, which also gained an American release: ([USA:] London PS592) 1971; and 'Tomorrow Is Another day' (Argo ZDA 150) 1972. Their music is not gloomy, brooding, damp, ghoulish, dark, threatening, creepy, bloody, horrifying or any of the other adjectives which spring to mind when one thinks of "Gothic". Instead it is warm, chatty, light, breezy, informal, witty. The albums are sometimes hyped as "psych-pop" (the former especially on account of its convoluted title and colourful pop-art cover) or even "acid-folk", but essentially they are neither of these things; they tends mostly towards folk and acousticism. However there are some tracks here to delight the psychedelically-inclined. The title track of the first album, 'The Jason Lodge Poetry Book', is great. Complex pop of sufficient quality to delight the pop-syke faithful. 'Song For Susan' is so close in sound and style to Fairfield Parlour that it just about escapes charges of plagiarism. 'A J Lone's Dog' is ragtime pop; and unsurprisingly with a title like 'Willow Tree Vale Song' this song is folk. But 'A Third For Jason Lodge' is very weird. Bizarre changes and references to flying, mushrooms and toadstools!

6 Comments:

I cannot understand why people do not write a simple "thanks" when downloading these jewels... sigh. Anyway, thank you VERY much for this records. They bring me lovely memories from past times, when I was selling records in Barcelona, Spain...